Here’s a round-up of developments in California, New Hampshire, and Vermont this week.

Let’s start with California. Mike Maharrey writes:

Earlier this week, a second California Assembly committee passed a bill that would require all law enforcement agencies in the state to get local government approval before acquiring or using surveillance technology. Passage of the bill would take the first step toward limiting the unchecked use of surveillance technologies that violate basic privacy rights and feed into a broader national surveillance state.

Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) and Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) introduced Senate Bill 21 (SB21) earlier this year. The legislation would require law enforcement agencies to propose a Surveillance Use Policy for each type of surveillance technology it operates and the information collected.

Earlier this week, a bill that bans the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant in most situations became law without the governor’s signature. The new statute not only protects privacy in New Hampshire, but will also hinder one aspect of the federal surveillance state.

A bipartisan coalition of representatives introduced House Bill 474 (HB474) earlier this year. The legislation will help block the use of cell site simulators, known as “stingrays.”Read more on Tenth Amendment Center.

But some of the biggest state news comes out of Vermont. Pam Dixon of World Privacy Forum sends notice this along. Note that you can provide your comments and/or attend:

On Tuesday, July 25 and Wednesday, July 26, 2017, meetings will be held at which any interested person may provide comments on data broker regulatory legislation. Broadly speaking, a data broker collects information, including citizens’ personal information, from a variety of sources and then sells that information to advertisers and others for various purposes.

The Vermont Legislature tasked the Attorney General and the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) to propose legislation or make a recommendation about whether, or how, to regulate the data broker industry. The working group will consult with consumer and industry stakeholders, and receive comments from the public. The working group’s recommendation or draft legislation is due by December 15, 2017.

The meetings will be held between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM at the Department of Financial Regulation’s office, located at 29 Church Street, 3rd Floor in Burlington, Vermont. These meetings are open to the public. If you wish to comment or attend, please contact: My-Lanh Graves at 802-828-5479 or [email protected]. An agenda will be posted on the Attorney General’s and DFR’s websites prior to the meetings.

The Legislature passed S.72 in June 2017; it requires the Attorney General and DFR to provide a recommendation or draft legislation reflecting:

An appropriate definition of the term “data broker”;

Whether and, if so, to what extent the data broker industry should be regulated by the Commissioner of Financial Regulation or the Attorney General;

Additional consumer protections that data broker legislation should seek to include that are not addressed within the framework of existing federal and State consumer protection laws; and

Proposed courses of action that balance the benefits to society that the data broker industry brings with actual and potential harms the industry may pose to consumers. The full text of S.72 can be found here.

The public meetings are intended to provide an opportunity for industry, consumer advocates, and the public to comment on the above-listed specific topics and on potential legislation regarding data brokers generally. Written comments will also be accepted through Friday, August 11, 2017 and will become part of the public record in this matter. Please send any written comments to My-Lanh Graves at [email protected]or by mail to the Attorney General’s Office at 109 State St., Montpelier, VT 05609.